Belt for garments



liatented @et 27, i935 attain alargar artica BELT ilit @GARE/@NTSlliiarry Hardie and .lohn Frost Hargreaves, Maltimore, Md., assignors toThe Faultless Manufacturing Company, Baltimore, Mid., a corporation ofMaryland Application January lill, i935, Serial No.1,2'l2

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a band for garments and is animprovement upon the construction disclosed in-Harsh Reissue Patent No.16,641 of May 31, 1927.

v'Ihe Harsh reissue discloses an elastic band for garments comprising asheath of folded stretchable textile material enclosing a strip of sheetrubber which is locked in position in the sheath by stretchablestitching,

The construction disclosed in the Harsh patent is a very satisfactoryconstruction for many purposes. For other purposes, it is slightlyunsightly in that itforms a band on the garment of material differentfrom the garment itself.

The present invention comprises a substantial improvement on the Harshconstruction in that it is a structure which results in an elastic bandwherein the inner face of the band is smooth stretchable material andthe outer face of the band is slightly ruiiled non-stretchable textilefabric which may comprise the material of the garment. By thisconstruction, a very sightly garment is produced which has all theadvantages and comforts of the construction disclosed in the Harshreissue. Preferably, in producing a garment in accordance with thepresent invention, the sheet of rubber in the sheath is slightlystretched at the time when it is sewed in position by threads ofstretchablestitching which pass through both sides of the sheath. Thenas the rubber contracts when the tension is released, thenon-stretchable fabric on the outside of the sheath will be slightlyruffled whereas the elastic fabric forming the inside of the sheath willcontract and remain smooth. Since the smooth fabric is toward thewearer, ,he construction is one of comfort and utility.

Other and further objects of the present invention'will in part beobvious and will in part be pointed 'out in the specification herewithfollowinglby reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part ofthis specification.

While the preferred form only of the invention is disclosed, it is to beunderstood that the disclosure is illustrative and is not to beconsidered in the limiting sense.

Fig. l iliustrates a section on l--l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 illustrates the upper portion of a garment with an elastic bandin accordance with the present invention thereon.

Fig. 3 is a view showing a fragment of the band illustrated in Fig. 2and showing more especially the end of the band carrying the attachingbutton.

The band comprising the present invention is (Cil. tw-237) made up of astrip of highly elastic sheet rubber l which is treated in such manneras to resist washing and laundry and also perspiration from the wearer.A strip of stretchable fabric preferably knit Jersey type fabric 2 isenfolded around the longitudinal edges of the sheet rubber in suchmanner as to cover one side thereof and as to provide edge folds t andSi around the edges of the sheet rubber l. The upper edge of the outercovering li for the sheath is preferably folded over as at l and thenthe edge l of the outer part and the edge fold t of the upper edge ofthe inner part are joined together by a, row of stretchable stitches twhich pass entirely through the upper edge of the band from face toface. The lower edge of the band including the foldover 5 is held inplace by al row of stretchable stitches t which likewise pass entirelythrough the band from faceI to face. 'I'he outer facet of the shea-thpreferably comprises a continuation of the side wall of the garment itand this is a different type of material from that used on the inside tocomprise the cover portion 2. Usually, the garment l@ is non-stretchablecloth and therefore, in order to provide elasticity adjacent thewaistband, it is desirable that the non-stretchable covering E shall beslightly ruied throughout the length of the belt. This ruling effect maybe obtained by placing the rubber sheet and the inner face elastic clothcovering slightly under tension at the time when the rows of stitching 8and il are being made. These rows of stitching may be madesimultaneously on a, double stitching machine so that with properfolding apparatus for folding the cloth, the waistband is assembled in asingle operation of the machine. Where the sheet of rubber and theinside `facing are slightly under tension when the sewing occurs, auniform rufiling is provided throughout the length of the belt sinceeach stitch moves forward as soon as the elasticity of the rubber isreleased.

' The facing materials may also be of different quality, as, forexample, the outer facing may be silk and the inner facing may beknitted elastic cotton fabric.

`Preferably, the ends of the waistband terminate in fastener pads il andl2. The pad il may be provided with a buttonhole itl and the pad it maybe provided with a button l5 or other suitable fastening members may beutilized. Where pads il and l2 are provided, the belt is adapted to beopened in order to facilitate putting on the garment. In many cases, itmay not be necessary to provide such opening since the waistband ishighly elastic and the garment may be put on without diillculty wherethe band is continuous.

In an open belt type garment, the rubber is securely anchored betweenthe anchor pads at the end of the belt, that is, one end of the rubberstrip is anchored beneath pad Il and the other end of the rubber stripis anchored beneath the pad l2. Where no opening is provided in thegarment and the waistband is continuous, the ends of the rubber stripshould be securely anchored together in such manner as to provide acomplete encircling elastic band.

The rubber strip should be anchored within the sheath. Preferably, it isanchored in place by having both rows of stitches 8 and 9 pass throughthe edges of the rubber strip. However, a Very satisfactory elastic beltmay be made by anchoring only one of said edges of the rubber strip byhaving the stitches of either the seam 8 or S pass through one edge onlyof the strip,y

leaving the other edge free to move independently of the other row ofstitches which' completes the sheath for the rubber strip.

An important unique feature of the present invention is a band forgarments with the inner face thereot` smooth and with the outer faceruffied to provide for a stretchable band attached to a non-stretchablefabric garment.

What is claimed is:

1. In an elastic band for garments, a strip of highly elastic sheetrubber; a sheath comprising an inner facing of stretchable knit textilematerial enclosing the edges of said strip of sheet rubber, and an outerfacing of non-stretchable material covering the other side of said sheetrubber; said outer facing of said sheath being shirred longitudinally ofsaid strip of rubber; a row of longitudinally extending stretchablestitches anchoring together the inner facing and the outer facing at oneedge of the sheath; and a second row of longitudinally extendingstretchable stitches anchoring together the other edge of said innerfacing to said outer facing of the sheath, one of said rows of saidstitches anchoring the rubber strip within the sheath.

2. A band for garments comprising a strip of highly elastic sheetrubber, a strip of smooth stretchable fabric overlying said strip ofsheet rubber and enclosing the edges thereof, longitudinally continuousstretchable stitches uniting said strip of rubber and said strip ofstretchable fabric to the terminal edge of a garment to form an elasticencircling band at said terminal edge of the garment and wherein the.outer face of the band is a continuation of the textile material of thegarment, said outer face of the band being shirred longitudinally ofsaid strip of rubber.

HARRY HARDIE. JOHN FROST HARGREAVES.

